Revelations; The Apocalyptic print in Nineteenth-Century Britain

This October Sanders of Oxford presents a collection of spectacular and visionary prints. Featuring depictions of the final days, extreme natural events, divine wrath and human disaster by artists such as John Martin, Gustave Doré, and Francis Danby.

Every culture has its own rendering of the apocalypse. In our lifetime, concepts such as Timewave Zero and the Photon Belt exist on the margins of society, but for the first few decades of the nineteenth-century, a unique phenomenon existed whereby eschatological notions were central to culture and rife within the arts. It was a period of economic, scientific and industrial transition, beset by the upheaval of revolution and war. Edmund Burke’s theories of the Sublime still endured and the popularity of millenarianism sharply rose. The apocalypse became a widespread allegory with which to explain the turbulent climate of the time. The end of the world was trumpeted in tracts and newspapers. It was depicted in paintings and prints.

The last month or two has been busy, including trips to Europe and America looking for books and then, of course, the fun of cataloguing them when you get back. You can see a number of these recent acquisitions here, including some really great music items (Purcell, Henry Lawes, Pietro Reggio, Mace's Musick's Monument, 1676, Simpson's Division-Violist, 1659, Shakespearean operas by Garrick, and a complete run of Warren's Collection), many with nice early provenances. Also included: a rare cook book (Edinburgh, 1755), Mythology made easy (1790, only one other copy known), and a practical guide for young army officers (Guernsey, 1798).